


Pale Shadows

by mireailles



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 09:29:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12251625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mireailles/pseuds/mireailles
Summary: Spoilers. Reiner/Eren. Reiner and Eren catch up.





	Pale Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty much self-indulgent.

The room is darker than Eren expects. It’s bare and only has a drawer, desk, closet and bed. On the bed, Eren spots him, hunched over, probably feeling sorry for himself. He’s got the same expression Eren’s seen in his own reflection these past few years. They’re still for a moment.

“Are you sure?” he asks.

Eren doesn’t respond and for a second Reiner thinks he hasn’t heard him.

“Yes,” he says.

He sits down on the bed and Reiner waits, feeling the bed shift under Eren’s weight. He turns to face Eren, and swears he sees the fifteen year old in him flash by. But Eren blinks and just like that it’s gone. He’s already gotten his leg off, how he’s managed to control it is quite a feat. The younger Eren would’ve never been able to keep calm enough to stop the growth. He fishes into his pockets and Eren watches closely as he pulls out a knife. 

“I told you I wasn’t gonna let you off easy,” he says.

“I don’t want you to.”

With his free hand he cups Eren’s face. The blade goes into his eyes, Reiner has to give him credit, he doesn’t scream, doesn’t flinch as he pushes it in. Blood pools out of it and when Reiner thinks it’s enough, he slowly pulls it out. He wipes the blade on his shirt, while Eren takes out a rag to bandage his eye. Blood dribbles from his face. Reiner pads over to his closet and grabs a belt.

He stands over Eren, who’s still trying to staunch the wound. “Take off your shirt.”

Eren obliges. He slips off his trenchcoat and then undoes the buttons on his shirt. Reiner watches, fascinated by how obedient Eren is. He cracks the belt a few times in his hands before he strikes it against Eren’s shoulder. This time, Eren grunts, half surprised, half in pain. He rears up, preparing to strike again, when Eren holds up his hands.

“Wait, just a second,” he says.

He pulls off the belt from his pants, strips down until he’s in his underwear. All skin and bones, looking paler than he was just a few seconds ago. He licks his lips, almost feeling Eren’s apathy towards the situation.

He whips him a few more times just to get the skin a little red and sore around the edges. Eren grunts each time he does it, mostly enduring the pain silently. And then--then he jumps on him like some kind of wild animal, pummeling him, making him bruise, making him hurt. Eren pushes him back, snarling, almost tosses him into the wall. Somewhere in the tussle they break a lamp at his bedside and someone knocks on the walls and shouts something about being quiet.

Eren snarls and the person on the other side shuts up. Reiner exhales, still on top of Eren. They’re both staring at each other, Reiner’s too tired to do anything else, too tired to reach into his fifteen year old self to reignite the rage. Eren reaches up, touches his cheek. He pushes himself up and cracks his back. From his spot, Eren lies back, staring as he does this.

He’s panting hard, he doesn’t know why.

“Go,” he says.

He doesn’t see him off but he hears the rustling of clothes and the creak of the door being opened and closed. It takes about an hour after the encounter before Reiner can even himself out.  
  
  
“You said you sent off a letter?”

“Yeah.”

“Who was the person again?”

“Eren. Eren Kruger,” Falco says.

“Kruger, huh?”


End file.
